"Because of my value?" Chen Xiao asked directly.
The other party did not deny it: "Yes, we do not deny that your body has great research value, and even... we believe that your physical mutation may very well affect the future direction of our group's evolution." After a pause, Queen of Hearts suddenly said: "Moreover, judging from your background, you have no chance of joining the club, right? In terms of organizational structure, I personally believe that other small and medium-sized superpower organizations are not capable of making effective use of you."
"You mean...using?"
“Yes, it’s about using you.” Queen of Hearts made no attempt to hide her words: “You are very valuable, both in terms of your ability to change and your ability to devour and replicate. Mr. Skofei has high hopes for retaining you, and we believe his hopes are justified. However, apart from us, no other organization in this world has the complete research methods to fully utilize you.”
"But using this word seems too cold," Chen Xiao said, pursing his lips.
“It’s all about using you.” The Queen of Hearts’ voice was serious. “We don’t want to lie to you, nor will we deceive you with lies. In other words, if I used so-called ideals or lofty words to inspire you, would you believe me?”
"...No, I would think you're hypocritical if I did that." Chen Xiao sighed.
So, you're willing to accept this?
Chen Xiao fell silent: "One last question, what if I refuse? Will I be immediately imprisoned and locked in a laboratory, waiting to be dissected or sliced up? Or will I become a prisoner-used lab rat? Or will you believe my ability to devour and replicate poses a threat to other superhumans and intend to physically eliminate me? Shi Gaofei said... he thinks I'm like a virus!"
After a moment of silence, eight voices came simultaneously:
"No. We are guardians, not manipulators, much less interferers."
Chen Xiao immediately stood up from his chair, patted his clothes, and deliberately feigned a sigh of relief: "Then I'm relieved, there's nothing to worry about... Ladies and gentlemen. My answer remains the same: I refuse." "Could you give a reason?"
When Chen Xiao walked out of the conference room, he saw Shi Gaofei sitting in a wheelchair blocking the doorway, looking at him with a gloomy expression.
"reason?"
“Yes, the reason!” Shi Gaofei’s eyes were filled with annoyance: “Kid, if you’re willing to stay, I can make full use of you for research, and this research will yield results of great significance! These results may very well affect our future! Evolution! Do you understand? Evolution!!”
“But you said I am a virus.” Chen Xiao touched his nose.
"Damn it! That was just a metaphor!" Shi Gaofei roared. "Do you even know your worth? I could even develop an anti-suppression drug. I'm currently researching an inducing drug because my research theory is: superpowers exist in every human body! Human DNA will continue to change during the evolutionary process! I hope to break the shackles that have always existed within the human body! If I could use your data for reverse research, I might be able to invent a new drug. Let all of humanity evolve together!"
"So, any ordinary person, after injecting this kind of drug you mentioned, can instantly evolve into a superhuman?" Chen Xiao seemed to smile. "Everyone in the world becomes a superhuman?"
"Not entirely!" Shi Gaofei exclaimed excitedly, "And then there's your ability to replicate superpowers! There are many types of superpowers that have been discovered so far! After years of research, we've only been able to figure out the principles behind some of them. But for many more superpowers, we only know their effects, but we can't figure out how they come about! In other words, as you Chinese say, we know what it is, but not why it is. But you can help me find a breakthrough in this direction!"
Chen Xiao stared intently at Shi Gaofei, his gaze very serious. Chen Xiao saw excitement, exhilaration, and sincerity in Shi Gaofei's eyes.
“I believe you,” he said calmly, “but you alone cannot represent the service company. You alone cannot represent the whole world.”
Standing in the room, Chen Xiao looked at the heavy rain outside and recalled the events of the evening.
Hmph, sublime? Noble? Watching over this world?
It wasn't that Chen Xiao was despicable, nor that he was judging others with a petty mind...
only……
Does such a pure and noble ideal truly exist in the world?
The US invaded Iraq under the guise of liberating the suffering people under Saddam Hussein's dictatorship, but its real aim was to seize oil.
Spanish colonists massacred the Maya people under the guise of spreading civilization, but their real purpose was plunder!
The Crusades, ostensibly to spread the faith in God, were actually for...
Simply acting as a "guardian" of this world?
Chen Xiao remained deeply skeptical of this claim. The next morning, it was Shi Gaofei's "waiter" who knocked on Chen Xiao's door. This woman, as always, politely asked Chen Xiao to come out after he was dressed.
Then, she told Chen Xiao that she would see him off.
Chen Xiao returned to Shi Gaofei's place, where the wheelchair-bound man gave him one last examination. Then, with an almost greedy attitude, he collected numerous samples from Chen Xiao's body. If he hadn't still possessed some rationality, he probably would have wanted to drain all of Chen Xiao's blood!
"How about we make a private agreement?" Before leaving, Shi Gaofei grabbed Chen Xiao's hand.
He pressed a button on the armrest of his wheelchair with his other hand.
Immediately, a transparent light barrier appeared around the two of them, enveloping them within it.
“This is a shielding layer I created myself,” Shi Gaofei said calmly. “Now, no one can hear or eavesdrop on the two of us! Including… the people from the service agency!”
Chen Xiao looked at Shi Gaofei's fingers gripping her wrist: "What do you want to say?"
"I need your help. My research will have a huge impact on the world!" Shi Gaofei said coldly. "So, even if you refuse to join the service, I still hope to get your help. Don't rush to refuse; listen to my conditions first!"
“…Speak.”
“From now on, I will send people to you regularly to collect blood samples from your body. I need to regularly observe changes in your body... especially after you acquire a new superpower! Because I have discovered that every time you acquire a new superpower, your DNA undergoes some changes that I cannot explain! These changes are very important to me, and I need to find some kind of pattern in them! I will send servants to you, to see you from time to time.”
“I don’t seem to have an obligation to do this,” Chen Xiao frowned.
“I won’t let you cooperate for nothing.” Shi Gaofei smiled slyly. “You probably don’t know who I am! In this service organization, all the technology is under my control! All the equipment used by our members, the detectors, the electromagnetic products, even all the medicines… you could say that I call the shots here!”
"……did you mean?"
"I'll give you something in return!" Shi Gaofei's smile was like that of a devil tempting people to commit crimes: "What do you want? The latest detector? All the most advanced functions! Not the cheap, counterfeit stuff you find elsewhere! The latest electromagnetic weapons? Flight suits? Invisibility camouflage skin? Everything! I can provide you with it! Aren't you with those old guys, Lao Tian and his group? Didn't they set up a commission agency? You'll be accepting commissions in the future. With my equipment, how much help will you get during operations? Think about it!"
After saying that, he put something into Chen Xiao's palm. Then he closed Chen Xiao's hand tightly and winked at him: "Take this, consider it my greeting gift! I'll send someone to find you again."
After passing through that strange elevator and leaving the service center headquarters, I found myself back on the same hillside platform where I had entered the day before.
As Chen Xiao stepped out, she saw Lao Tian standing at the door, with a steam-powered car parked beside him. However, this time the driver wasn't Black Seven anymore. Oh, she should be called Suo Suo now, because in the service company, the code name Black Seven already belonged to someone else.
The person driving the car was a young boy who didn't look much older than Chen Xiao.
When Lao Tian saw Chen Xiao come out, he didn't ask anything, but just went up and patted him on the shoulder: "Have you finished everything? Then get in the car, we're getting ready to leave here and go home."